The sport of scuba diving entails the use of a considerable quantity of equipment. Divers will typically have, at a minimum, heavy compressed air tanks, fins, weight belts, face masks, regulators and a buoyancy jacket. He or she may add a camera, nets, spear guns, dive tables and other equipment chosen to add interest to the dive. Depending on environmental conditions a diver may wish to take a dry or wet suit. Together, equipment which is easily handled when worn by the diver under water is weighty, bulky and difficult to carry over land.
On land is where most diving adventures begin. The diver who can park his motor vehicle close by water or dock, and not have to carry his or her equipment a considerable distance across parking lots, beaches, or along country roads is fortunate. Where the diver has a long trek to boat or water, moving equipment becomes a tiring, time consuming project.
The problems divers face in hauling equipment from car or other land transport to water's edge have been addressed in diverse ways by other inventors. U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,761 emphasizes the needs of divers who make dives directly from water's edge after a long and potentially rugged hike to the location of the dive. The patent teaches a caddie designed to assist the land transport of tanks and gear, across both hard surfaces and soft surfaces, and up and down rugged terrain or stairs. The caddie is also adapted to provide a floating platform marking the dive location. The caddie is based on a quadrilateral frame, fabricated from hollow tubing. Handler units and roller units are disposed at opposite ends of the frame. Both the handler unit and the roller unit include buoyant elements for flotation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,670 recognizes the need for a simple, light weight aid for moving scuba tanks. The patent teaches a device comprising two "tank engaging members", which working together provide a clasping, spring loaded frame for attachment to the bottom of tanks. An axle and two wheels are mounted to the tank engaging members. In essence, the device provides for the quick attachment of a pair of wheels to a scuba tank. The device is compact, and provides nesting of one engaging member with the other when removed from a tank. However, the device is limited to hauling a single compressed air tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,346 teaches a Scuba Tote providing a wheeled base with retractable handle. The base provides an enclosure, the details of which are unspecified, but which may be used for the stowage of equipment, and a cover for the enclosure which has exterior recesses for receiving and partially supporting scuba tanks. The device is relatively bulky and, other than a retractable handle, not collapsible.